CROSSING OUT: To scribble or write on someone else's name. It is considered highly disrespectful.

DEF: Excellent (derived from definite and death).

DESIGNS: Polka dots, checkers stars swirls are placed over the fill-in to in hence and compliment fill-in . Designs are limited only by an artists imagination and technical ability.

D.G.A.: Don't Get Around.

DING DONG Stainless-steel (R-46)subway car, so named for the bell that rings alerting passengers of closing doors.

DOPE: Excellent, of the highest order.

DOWN: Part of a group or action.

DT: Plain cloths police officer or detective.

5-O: Slang for police. Derived form the television series Hawaii 5-O.

FADE: Graduation of colors.

FAMLIES: Rows of throw ups of the same name.

FLOATERS: Throw ups done on subway car panels at window level.

FREIGHTS: Railroad freight cars.

FLATS: Painted steel subway cars with flat surfaces. (The preferred subway cars of old school writers. During the 1970s the IRT division was composed exclusively of flats).

GETTING UP: When proliferation of name has led to high visibility.

GETTING OVER: Succeeding.

G0ING OVER: Writing over another writers name. It is the ultimate act of disrespect.

FILL-IN: The base colors of a piece, falling within the outline.

HAND STYLE: Handwriting or tagging style.

HEAD BUFF SPOT:The portion of wall panels of the subway car interior above the seats located at passenger's head level. The mild though frequent abrasion from passengers heads eventually buffs (removes) tags on these locations.(It is an undesirable location to tag.)

HENRY SHOTS: Photographic technique developed by Henry Chalfant. The camera remains in one spot with automatic film advance while the subject (train) moves. The end result is a straight forward single image built from several frames providing more detail. Though the term is used infrequently the technique has become one of the standards for photo documentation of trains.

2. Mad Transit Artists Bronx crew from the late 1970s led by CHINO MALO and REE aka OPEL.

NUMBER LINES: The IRT division of The New York City Subway.

NEW SCHOOL: Contemporary writing culture (post 1984).This date can vary greatly depending upon who you ask.

OLD SCHOOL: The writing culture prior to 1984.This date can vary greatly depending upon who you ask.

OUTLINE: The skeleton or frame work of a piece FINAL OUTLINE: After fill-in and designs have been applied the outline is re-executed to define the letters.

PANEL PIECE: A painting below the windows and between the doors of a subway car.

PIECE: A writer's painting, short for masterpiece.

PIECING: The execution of a piece.

PIECE BOOK OR BLACK BOOK: A writer's sketch book. Used for personal art development and or the collection of other artists work.

PRODUCTION: Large scale murals with detailed pieces and illustrations. (Contemporary term used mainly for street murals.)

PULL-IN PULL-OUT: This is essentially a five to fifteen minute lay-up. At the end of some subway routes trains park in a tunnel for several minutes before going back into service. During this time the trains are written on. Due to time constraints pull in-pull outs were generally utilized for throw ups. It was one of the more dangerous approaches to writing.

RACKING OR RACKING UP: Shoplifting or stealing.

RACK: A store where shoplifting can be done.

RIDGIE: Subway car with corrugated, stainless-steel sides. An undesirable surface for burners. Ridgies ran on the BMT and IND divisions and were preferred by throw-up artists.

ROLLER LETTERS:Names rendered with bucket paint and rollers.

SCRATCHITI: A media coined term for the scratchings rendered on to the windows of subway cars.

SLANTS: IND R-40 subway cars with slanted face.

STEEL: Any type of train. New school term used to distinguish train and wall work.